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Unlike the real ones zipping across the artificial pond nearby, this larger-than-life dragonfly has a 4-foot wingspan and consists of 6,535 Lego pieces, designed, built and glued together by contemporary sculpture artist Sean Kenney.

Moreau, 4, and his brother Zach, 2, know a few things about Legos, the colorful, interlocking plastic bricks loved by kids the world over. They have a set of Duplos, which are double the size of traditional Legos to make them easier to handle and less likely to be swallowed by young children.

“We usually make towers out of our Duplo Legos,” said their mother, Erin Moreau, who brought her kids from Bostic along with her parents from Asheville, to see the Kenney display at the Arboretum. “Alex likes to make gas stations, too.”

Alex was amazed by the dragonfly, but his favorite Kenney creation was the American bumblebee buzzing over visitors in the Arboretum's greenhouse. Kenney's bee stands 4 feet long and 3 feet wide, made from 16,383 Lego bricks of yellow, black and gray.

Kenney, a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based artist, spent so much time playing with Lego toys as a child that he decided to make a career of it. Bagging his desk job of 10 years, he became the first of only 13 Lego-certified professionals worldwide.

His New York studio contains more than 2 million Lego pieces, which Kenney and his team of talented bricklayers mold into intricate sculptures, ranging from 6-inch flowers to a 400-pound polar bear that took 95,000 bricks and 1,100 hours to construct (with help from five assistants).

Kenney's exhibit of 27 Lego brick nature sculptures — titled “Some Assembly Required” — has been touring botanical gardens since 2012 and opened Saturday at the N.C. Arboretum. It runs through Jan. 5 and features creations such as an 8-foot-tall hummingbird, a jumping koi and, fittingly, a 38-inch-tall moth orchid.

Henry and Brenda Hind never played with Legos as children, but they drove over from their home in Mills River to see Kenney's exhibit.

“Our children did, but Lincoln Logs were more in style back in our day,” Henry Hind said.

The Hinds agreed Kenney's ruby-throated hummingbird, constructed from 31,565 colorful bricks, was impressive and realistic. The sculpture took Kenney and his team more than four weeks to design and five weeks to build.

“It's just amazing,” Brenda Hind said.

One visitor passed right by a life-sized lawnmower in the Arboretum's Baker Garden, not realizing it was made from 13,704 Legos.

“We walked right by it,” she said with a giggle. “We thought it was real.”

The Kenney exhibit isn't just about eye candy. There are instructional plaques that offer facts about the creatures depicted: The oldest known koi lived to 226 years; bumblebee stingers don't have barbs; and male swallowtail butterflies release scents to attract mates during courtship.

On Sunday, visitors could also check out a local competition of 100 Lego brick-builders in the Arboretum's Baker Exhibit Center, including a full-sized 1879 fire hydrant built by Hendersonville's own Chris Capps and family. Visitors can vote for their favorite entry through Nov. 10.

For more information about the Kenney exhibit or visiting the Arboretum, go to www.ncarboretum.org or call 828-665-2492.

<p>ASHEVILLE -- Alex Moreau stared, wide-eyed, at the dragonfly hovering over the stream garden at the N.C. Arboretum on Sunday.</p><p>Unlike the real ones zipping across the artificial pond nearby, this larger-than-life dragonfly has a 4-foot wingspan and consists of 6,535 Lego pieces, designed, built and glued together by contemporary sculpture artist Sean Kenney.</p><p>Moreau, 4, and his brother Zach, 2, know a few things about Legos, the colorful, interlocking plastic bricks loved by kids the world over. They have a set of Duplos, which are double the size of traditional Legos to make them easier to handle and less likely to be swallowed by young children.</p><p>“We usually make towers out of our Duplo Legos,” said their mother, Erin Moreau, who brought her kids from Bostic along with her parents from Asheville, to see the Kenney display at the Arboretum. “Alex likes to make gas stations, too.”</p><p>Alex was amazed by the dragonfly, but his favorite Kenney creation was the American bumblebee buzzing over visitors in the Arboretum's greenhouse. Kenney's bee stands 4 feet long and 3 feet wide, made from 16,383 Lego bricks of yellow, black and gray.</p><p>Kenney, a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based artist, spent so much time playing with Lego toys as a child that he decided to make a career of it. Bagging his desk job of 10 years, he became the first of only 13 Lego-certified professionals worldwide.</p><p>His New York studio contains more than 2 million Lego pieces, which Kenney and his team of talented bricklayers mold into intricate sculptures, ranging from 6-inch flowers to a 400-pound polar bear that took 95,000 bricks and 1,100 hours to construct (with help from five assistants).</p><p>Kenney's exhibit of 27 Lego brick nature sculptures — titled “Some Assembly Required” — has been touring botanical gardens since 2012 and opened Saturday at the N.C. Arboretum. It runs through Jan. 5 and features creations such as an 8-foot-tall hummingbird, a jumping koi and, fittingly, a 38-inch-tall moth orchid.</p><p>Henry and Brenda Hind never played with Legos as children, but they drove over from their home in Mills River to see Kenney's exhibit.</p><p>“Our children did, but Lincoln Logs were more in style back in our day,” Henry Hind said.</p><p>The Hinds agreed Kenney's ruby-throated hummingbird, constructed from 31,565 colorful bricks, was impressive and realistic. The sculpture took Kenney and his team more than four weeks to design and five weeks to build.</p><p>“It's just amazing,” Brenda Hind said.</p><p>One visitor passed right by a life-sized lawnmower in the Arboretum's Baker Garden, not realizing it was made from 13,704 Legos.</p><p>“We walked right by it,” she said with a giggle. “We thought it was real.”</p><p>The Kenney exhibit isn't just about eye candy. There are instructional plaques that offer facts about the creatures depicted: The oldest known koi lived to 226 years; bumblebee stingers don't have barbs; and male swallowtail butterflies release scents to attract mates during courtship.</p><p>On Sunday, visitors could also check out a local competition of 100 Lego brick-builders in the Arboretum's Baker Exhibit Center, including a full-sized 1879 fire hydrant built by Hendersonville's own Chris Capps and family. Visitors can vote for their favorite entry through Nov. 10.</p><p>For more information about the Kenney exhibit or visiting the Arboretum, go to www.ncarboretum.org or call 828-665-2492.</p>